Chapter 172: Chapter 172: The Completion of the Small Restaurant

“Looks like dad got a lot darker, but he seems full of energy,” remarked Lu Xiaomei, teasing her significantly darkened father.

Mrs. Lu laughed, “Ever since the house construction started, your father has been leaving early and coming back late, afraid of delaying the progress of your house, working tirelessly with the workers every day. Of course, he’d get darker.”

Father Lu quickly finished a slice of watermelon, “I may not be good at much, but I still have a bit of strength left, just for some hard labor.”

“Dad, if you’re tired, just rest. We’re not in a hurry with the house.”

“Ah, dad knows.”

Father Lu wasn’t just content with working by himself; whenever his second son had a break, he would call on him to work together.

Thus, over the summer, Lu Xiaoting also got noticeably darker.

Susu, looking at the six kids whose black hair shone and her own man, covered her face.

This vacation, the siblings really had a blast.

At home, they couldn’t sit still for a moment; if they weren’t going out with their brother and elder sisters to find friends nearby, they were following grandma in the streets, charming the men and women old enough to be their grandparents.

In September, when the school year began, Tianyu and his elder sister Xiao Yu moved up to fourth grade, and little Xiao Xue also became a proud elementary school student, going to school with her brother and elder sister every day.

As the three little school-goers shuttled between school and home each day, time blinked into October, and the weather gradually cooled down.

In this refreshing autumn season, located in the suburbs, the small diner was already halfway built, taking shape.

The cooler weather made it much easier for the workers to do their work.

“Dad, here’s some chicken soup mom stewed all morning, drink it while it’s hot.”

Knowing that Susu was going to check on the progress of the small diner today, Mrs. Lu went to the market early in the morning, especially to buy an old hen and stewed it all morning.

The old hen was soft and tender, and the chicken soup was rich and fragrant without being greasy, perfect for older people with poor teeth.

Father Lu took the towel from around his neck to wipe the sweat off his forehead and smiled as he took the steaming hot chicken soup.

“Hello, boss.”

“Hello, boss.”

The contractor hurried over, smiling and updating Susu on the work progress.

Susu, keeping her face straight, nodded, still giving the impression that she wasn’t easy to talk to.

When you’re out and about, it’s inevitable that some people will try to take advantage of you because you’re a woman.

But of course, it’s not okay to always appear intimidating; you need to be both firm and gentle.

So, as the one who paid the workers, she was responsible for playing the tough part—if the project was found to be subpar upon inspection, it was to be redone immediately, or else not a penny would be paid.

The one in charge of overseeing the work, Father Lu, on the other hand, did the smiling part.

After taking a look around, Susu took the lunch box and went back.

The group of men who were eating instantly heaved a sigh of relief and dared to smack their lips again.

One man joked, “Uncle Lu, your daughter-in-law sure has a strong presence.”

“Uncle Lu, in your family, is it Lu Gong’an or Boss Su who’s in charge?”

“In our house, my daughter-in-law is in charge,” Father Lu said with a smile.

“Ah, see, I guessed right, didn’t I?”

“However, if my daughter-in-law was as capable as that, she would definitely be the head of the household too.”

Father Lu listened to the men’s words with a silent smile.

“Achoo—Achoo—”

Susu, halfway back, couldn’t hold back and sneezed several times in a row.

She sniffled, wondering if someone was speaking ill of her behind her back.

…

“Hello, sister-in-law!”

“Little sister, come in, have a seat. Old Lu and the others went out and haven’t come back yet.”

Susu smiled warmly, “Alright, thanks, Brother Liu.”

No sooner had the words fallen than Lu Xiaoting and several men in uniform walked in.

“Old Lu, guess who’s here?”

“Brother Lu, your sister-in-law is here to fetch you again.”

“Sister-in-law, good day.”

“Little sister has arrived.”

“Go on, get out of here…”

Lu Xiaoting ushered the group of raucously teasing men away, his thin lips forming a handsome curve.

“Wife, just wait for a moment.”

Susu nodded. “Mm, no rush, take care of your work first.”

—-

Walking arm in arm with her man, Susu strolled down the road on their way home, his deep, pleasant voice filling her ears.

“This afternoon, we got a call from the citizens on Sunite Street that an old lady’s chicken was missing, suspected to have been stolen. I went door-to-door this afternoon, asking around, and then we found some chicken feathers in someone’s swill bucket. It turned out a kid from that household thought the neighbor’s rooster feathers looked pretty and sneakily plucked a few to make shuttlecock toys. The old lady noticed early and called the police. Frightened of getting caught by the police, the kid hid the chicken.”

Susu, “…”

The Susu of the past always thought that being a police officer was a noble profession, constantly busy with various cases. She never expected that often they would have to help citizens find various animals or intervene in brawling gossips and the like.

Susu patted her man’s arm. “You’ve worked hard, my dear police officer Lu. When we get home, let your son and daughter give you a massage.”

The man raised an eyebrow and glanced at his gentle and soft wife beside him, his eyes brimming with amusement.

When the couple got home, before mother Susu could say a word, the triplets who had recently taken a keen interest in massaging their grandparents, parents, and siblings, pulled the couple up onto the kang and made them lie down.

Susu squeezed the triplets’ chubby little cheeks with a smile, “Mommy’s not tired. Daddy’s been out on duty and is exhausted, so all of you should massage Daddy well.”

“Daddy, lie down properly.”

“Yes, Daddy, hurry up.”

“Daddy, does it feel good?”

The two boys of the triplets each grabbed a leg to knead, while Miss Lele sat on their father’s head; she huffed and puffed as she energetically swung her little fists, using all her might to help give her father a back massage.

Father Lu Xiaoting, bearing the assault from his daughter’s little bottom, lay down helplessly.

Susu barely managed to hold back her laughter. How effective was this massage? First, one must endure an onslaught from the little daughter’s bottom.

…

As the weather turned colder, December crept in without notice.

Before the small restaurant’s completion, Susu, with little Sun and the other men, ventured to Yangcheng once more for supplies.

By now, Zhang Guoming, the manager of the first store, Xiao Sun the manager of the second store, and Su Chenghe had all mastered the procurement process. However, the three men weren’t so savvy when it came to selecting women’s clothing and accessories, so Susu still needed to go in person to choose new stock.

Half a month slipped by just like that.

During this time, the renovation of the small restaurant proceeded smoothly under the supervision of Lu Xiaoting and Father Lu.

By the time Susu and her entourage returned with a heap of winter clothes, it was already the end of December.

The interior of the small restaurant had an antique feel, more specifically, a blend of modern and ancient styles that made it quite unique. It attracted the attention of many passersby, with plenty of elders leading their grandchildren to take in the sight at the door every day.

All the furniture inside the shop had been carefully crafted by skilled artisans from the countryside, meticulously sanded down.

Furniture coated with tung oil was displayed inside, bringing its own distinctive charm.